Shaft-coupling.



E. C. GRIFFIN. SHAFT COUPLING. APPLIGATION Hmm SEPT. 2, 190e.

922,579., Patent-,ed May 25, 1909.

fi 'i K IIN EDWIN C. GRIFFIN, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHAFT-COUPLING.

No. 922,579. p

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN C. GRIFFIN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Newton, county of Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Shaft-Couplings, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

In my United States Patent No. 721035, granted to me February 17, 1903 a very strong and durable coupling device is shown, so constructed and arranged that two rotating members or shafts can be thereby connected in such manner that one member may move into or out of alinement with the other member.

My present invention relates more particularly to the second form of the coupling shown and described in said patent, and is .an improvement thereover particularly designed for use in cases wherein there is present a strong tendency to separate the two rotating members connected by the coupling. This longitudinal or axial thrust at times binds or cramps the segmental members (forming a part of the `coupling) on their concave bearing seats, owing to the excessive friction produced, and interferes with the full freedom of operation of the coupling in its flexibility or universality of movement. In my present invention I have provided, in a coupling of the t pe above referred to, means to take up suoli longitudinal thrust independently of the segmental members and their bearings, so that there will be no binding or cramping of the said parts, my imroved coup ing being particularly adapted or use in grinding mi ls wherein a heavy grinding roll is carried by a gyratory shaft suspended at its upper end. rlhe weight of the roll, and its gyrations within the grinding chamber, exert a heav strain on the coupling connecting the rol -shaft with the driving shaft, and by my present invention this strain, which is longitudinal of the roll-shaft,

taken up and provided for.

{Ihe various novel features of my invention wilbbe fully described in the subjoined specification `and particularly pointed out in the following claims.

Figure 1is a view partly in vertical section, on the line 1 1, Fig. 2, of a coupling device embodying. my present invention, the shafts connected by the coupling being partly Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led. September 2, 1908.

Patented. May 25, 19094 Serial No. 515372.

shown and in elevation; Fig. 2 is an elevation., part in section of the coupling, the nearer segment being omitted; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the transmitting members of the coupling and their connection with the depending or driven shaft, but turned upside down.

Referring to Fig. 1 the driving member or shaft S is shown as suported in a vertical position by a suitable ixed bearing B and provided with a pulley B by means of which rotation is transmitted to the shaft, from any suitable source of power, not shown. The lower end of the shaft is tapered to enter .a correspondingly tapered hub fx of the art F of the two-part inclosing member E, of the coupling, a nutf retaining the shaft end securely in place. The cross-head l? having opposite trunnions the segmental transmitting members gx pivotally mounted thereon, said cross-head having a tapered hole px to receive the correspondingly tapezfd end of the driven shaft S', the retaining nut 42; the bearing-seats formed in the inelosing member E, F of the coupling, comprising the concave portions e2, f2 of the saine curvature as the convex faces of the segments DX, and the cheeks et, f4 on each side of said concave portions, to receive between them the segments, may be and are all substantially as shown in the second form of the coupling embodied in my patent referred to. The parts E and F ofthe inclosing member are rigidly connected by bolts 50 extended through flanges e3, f3, and the part E has an opening EX through which the shaft S extends and within which it is freely movable to swing laterally into 01 out of alinement with the shaft S, but it will be noted by ref- .erence to Fig. 6 of the drawing of my said patent that herein I have reversed the position of the parts E and F. The seat portions ezhj"2 and the cheeks may be babbitted as in the patent, and so far as described the present coupling is practically identical with the one patented by me.

Referring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that any downward pull or thrust along the shaft S, due to its weight or to the weight of any parts mounted thereon, will draw the curved faces of the segments hard upon the curved portions of the bearing seats, and in mill work, where heavy, sudden and constantly changing strains are present there is a tendency for the segments to bind or cramp in their .bearings in the inclosing member E, F,

interfering with the flexibility of the coupi of the cross-head P, formed on its under side concentric with the shaft axis, and a cuplike ring bearin or socket member 6 coperating therewit and resting on an annular, flat su port l7 within the part E concentric with t e opening E and in a lane at right angles to the axis of the over ead shaft S. A species of ball-and-socket bearing is thus provided, which takes up the longitudinal thrust or strain of the shaft S and vertically sustains the latter, while permitting its freedom of movement with relation to the shaft S, the surface of the member 5 being concentric to the convex faces of the segments DX.

The ring bearing orsocket member 6 is free to move laterally on the flat, annular support 7 in order that it may adjust itself to changes in angular position of the shaft S without any binding tendency.

It is not necessary t at the thrust bearing f should take up the entire weight of the shaft S and the parts carried thereby, but a sufficient amount of such weight is taken up to prevent any binding of the bearings and segments of the main portions of the coupling.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is f 1. A drivin shaft, a shaft to be driven, and a universe coupling therebetween, comprising o positely-extended trunnions rigidly attache to one shaft, transmitting segments pivotally mounted on the trunnions, a bearing member rigidly secured to the other shaft and having seats to coperate with the Asegments, each seat having radially-disposed, parallel faces and a convex face, to coperate respectively with the sides and convex portion of a se ment, and separate means to take up axiathrust of the segment-carrying shaft independently of the coperation of said segments and their seats.

2. A driving-shaft, a shaft to be driven, and a universal coupling therebetween, comprising o ipositely-extended trunnions rigidly attache to one shaft, transmitting segments pivotally mounted on the trunnions, a bearing member rigidly secured to 'the other shaft and having seats to coperate with the segments, each seat having radially-disposed, parallel faces and a convex face, to cooperate respectively with the sides'and convexportion of a segment, a spherical enlargement on This auxiliary Aor' seams and concentric with the segment-carrying' shaft, 'and an annular socket-bearing therefor on the bearing member, to take up axial thrust of the last named shaft and prevent binding of the segments in their seats.

3. In a universal coupling, a .rotatable member having opposite concave bearlngs radially disposed w1th relation to its axis of rotation, o positely-located segments coperating wit and bodily movable upon said bearings, a second rotatable member upon which said segments aremounted to rotate bodily therewith and movable relatively thereto on axes radial to its longitudinal axis,

an independent bearin concentric .with and to take up lon itudina thrust of the second named rotatab e member, and means to prevent relative rotative movement of the two rotatable members.

4. In a universal couplin for adjacent rotatable shafts, oppositelyocated segments mounted upon and rotating bodily with one shaft, and relatively movable on axes radial to the Shaft, a coperating inclosing member iixedlyfmounted on the adjacent shaft and provided with opposite, radially disposed caring-seats havingy concave portions concentric with and to sustain the convex faces of the segments, said inclosin member having an opening through whic thesegment carrying shaft reely extends, a laterally movable, annular bearing surroundingl the shaft and sustained by the inclosing member adj acent said opening, and a spherical enlargement `on the shaft coperating with saidbearing, to take u axial thrust of the shaft.

5. A rotata le driving member, an adjacent, depending shaft to be driven, and a coupling between them, comprising aninclosing member -fixedly connected vwith the driving member and having an opening through which the adjacent shaft end freely extends, radially dis osed bearing-seats on said inclosing mem er, transmittin 1 segments engaging and co erating with-'said seatsan'd mounted on tlie shaft and relatively movable on axes radial t'o the shaft, and means to suspend the shaft and sustain its weight independently of the bearing seats while permitting free angular movement of said shaft. j

6. A vertical driving member'having fixed bearings, a depending shaft to be driven, a

universal coupling therebetween, including/5'" transmitting members on the driven s//ha/'ft and an inclosin member having coperating bearings there or, said members/and their cooperating bearings effecting/simultaneous rotation of the shafts and/also vertically sustaining the driven shaftf's'aid inclosing member being mounted/orl the driving member, and a suspension/bearing for the driven shaft, on said inc/losing membery and vertically sustaining/the driven shaft inde endently of the transmitting members and their bearings, to

prevent binding of said members on their bearings. l

7. A vertical driving shaft having fixed bearings, a coupling member ixedly c011- nected therewith and having an opening in its bottom, bearings in said member, a depending shaft to be driven, having its upper end extended through the opening into said coupling member, transmltting segments mounted on the driven shaft and cooperating with said bearings to effect simultaneous rotation of the shafts While permitting the driven shaft to swing, a spherical enlargement on the latter shaft, and an annular socket bearing therefor surrounding the shaft and laterally movable in the coupling v member adjacent its opening, to vertically sustain the driven shaft independently of the segments and their bearings.

8. A driving shaft having fixed bearings, a

depending shaft to be driven, a universal coupling therebetween, including an inclosing bearing member rigidly attached to the driving shaft and having an opening through which the driven shaft extends, an annular, internal seat surrounding the opening and in a plane at right angles to the axis of the driving shaft, a cup-like bearingring supported by and laterally movable on said seat, and a spherical portion fast on the depending shaft and cooperating with the ring, to form asuspension bearing for the depending shaft and take up longitudinal thrust.

In testimony Whereof, I have signed my name to this specication, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

. EDWIN C. GRIFFIN.

Witnesses:

JOHN C. EDWARDS, THOMAS J. DRUMMOND. 

